*Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction
*Shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award
*Shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize
One of The Times UKâs Best Memoirs of 2018, BuzzFeedâs Best Nonfiction of 2018, Autostraddleâs Best LGBT Books of 2018, and 52 Insightâs Favorite Nonfiction Books of 2018
A âno-holds-barred examination of masculinityâ (BuzzFeed) and violence from award-winning author Thomas Page McBee.
In this ârefreshing and radicalâ (The Guardian) narrative, Thomas McBee, a trans man, sets out to uncover what makes a manâand what being a âgoodâ man even meansâthrough his experience training for and fighting in a charity boxing match at Madison Square Garden. A self-described âamateurâ at masculinity, McBee embarks on a wide-ranging exploration of gender in society, examining sexism, toxic masculinity, and privilege. As he questions the limitations of gender roles and the roots of masculine aggression, he finds intimacy, hope, and even love in the experience of boxing and in his role as a man in the world. Despite personal history and cultural expectations, âAmateur is a reminder that the individual can still come forward and fightâ (The A.V. Club).
âSharp and precise, open and honest,â (Womenâs Review of Books), McBeeâs writing asks questions ârelevant to all people, trans or notâ (New York Newsday). Through interviews with experts in neuroscience, sociology, and critical race theory, he constructs a deft and thoughtful examination of the role of men in contemporary society. Amateur is a graceful and uncompromising look at gender by a fearless, fiercely honest writer.